Precious Cargo

Precious Cargo is a term safety advocates use to describe helpless children who are atrisk when riding in automobiles. These fragile passengers are dependent upon parentsand caregivers to protect them and ensure their wellbeing. Motor vehicle crashes claimthousands of child fatalities and debilitating injuries every year. Unrestrained children areat the greatest risk of death and serious injury. Use of Child Restraint Systems is essentialto protect your loved ones. The author reviews the historical basis of child car seats and the evolution of child safetyrestraints to date. Child restraint systems have a proven record of saving thelives of numerous children, and reducing serious injury of thousands ofothers. However, it has been a rocky road. Current child seats are effective when used correctly but misuse;confusion, and product recalls have tainted the industry. Progresstoward advancing child safety has stalled; with little progress overthe past 40 years. Obsolete and ineffective testing methodologyneeds to be corrected to advance the state-of-art. The Car companies are not involved in child restraint design,crash testing or vehicle installation problems. The NationalHighway Traffic safety Administration (NHTSA)oversight has been negligent and ineffective inadvancing child safety technology. Cooperation between car companies, child seatmanufacturers, NHTSA, and concerned safetyadvocates as the way-forward to advancingchild safety is presented.